PACE - Process & Control Engineering - April 2012

PACE.APR12.PG001.pdf

APRIL 2012

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VOL.65 NO.3

Automation The medical devices industry requires a unique manufacturing process.

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Wireless Understand the technology and benefits of deploying wireless sensors.

Technology Update 24

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PACE.APR12.PG003.pdf

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CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE Published monthly by Reed Business Information Pty Ltd

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Publisher: Michelle Graves Email: michelle.graves@reedbusiness.com.au Editor: Kevin Gomez Tel: (02) 9422 2976 Fax: (02) 9422 2722 Email: kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

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10 Technology Focus 10

MasterClass 22

Calibrate Instruments 16

Motors & Drives 30

Food manufacture Given the increasing regulation, the industry must constantly raise the bar for food safety with automation playing a key role.

Pharma manufacturing Calibrating instruments correctly and regularly is key to properly manufacturing a pharmaceutical product.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1300 360 126

APRIL 2012

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Smart motors Australia’s largest cold-chain logistics service provider finds a cost-effective way to improve reliability of its conveyor system.

Engineering 35

Choose the right hose Proper hose selection starts with an understanding of the four main parts of a hose.

IICA Corner 42

Networking benefits Raising the industry’s visibility by networking with decision makers and organizations remains a significant objective for the Institute.

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VOL.65 NO.3

Automation The medical devices industry requires a unique manufacturing process.

Viewpoint 13

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Wireless Understand the technology and benefits of deploying wireless sensors.

Technology Update 24

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF: Average Net Distribution

Post Print Approved PP255003/00539

A D _ P A C E R Period O C ending A P September R _ 1 ‘11 2 _ 1 . pdf 7,034

Biogas production How to profit from this truly sustainable renewable energy source the use of which is growing exponentially.

ON THE COVER P ACE . AP R1 2 . P G0 0 1 . p d f

Copyright © Reed Business Information 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

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PACE.APR12.PG004.pdf

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COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Wireless poised for growth Kevin Gomez Editor

Next Issue • Test & Measurement • SCADA & MES • Water & Wastewater • Instrumentation

RECENT research from ARC throws up some interesting facts on the spread of wireless. A growth that is no doubt being helped along by the demise of proprietary standards and the emergence of the two protocols: WirelessHART and ISA100.11a.

Older proprietary standards still have a huge installed base but the industry appears ready for change.

There is however some serious concern among users that competition between the two standards will turn into another fieldbus war.

Despite this hesitation, wireless products and solutions are expected to experience double-

digit growth as users derive tangible benefits from installing wireless instrumentation.

The landscape is changing from early adopters who just installed wireless in difficult to reach locations to current users which are often process industries looking for better control.

More stringent environmental laws and tighter safety regulations are also boosting the demand for wireless devices.

Greenfield projects are more likely to consider wireless adoption and will no doubt be the focus of vendors in both camps.

But this need not be a constraint as existing plants seeking to expand may well consider going wireless.

This issue of PACE features a detailed technical article on the use, implementation and benefits of WirelessHART. I’m sure the proponents of ISA100.11a would similarly argue their case.

Whatever the chosen standard, we will see a transition to device level solutions built around mesh-based, inherently redundant installations that are linked to a Wi Fi backbone. Wireless security-related concerns are being addressed and users appear to be more trusting of the technology.

ARC expects the supplier landscape to expand dramatically over the next decade as numerous sensor, transmitter, actuator and other device-level

product vendors introduce wireless offerings.

Doubtless we will see some fine implementations of wireless technology among the finalists of this year’s PACE Zenith Awards. There’s still time to send in your entry so hop onto our website www.pacetoday. com.au/awards and download a nomination form.

You may well walk away with top honours at the gala awards dinner in Melbourne on Thursday June 14.

For the winner: a feature story in the July issue of PACE, a handsome trophy and bragging rights. Nothing to complain about, really? kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

MANAGEMENT

Ten tips for generating growth in these challenging times

BY JIM PINTO

“wow” your customers. facilities. Examine advanced manufacHERE are 10 brainstorming ideas to Encourage innovation: Allow novel turing opportunities. help your company generate growth: ideas to bubble up. Encourage staff to Pricing paradigms: Plan for highCulture change: Adapt your business join innovative groups and organizations. tech products with high margins. Pursue culture to generate new ideas, and tackle Partnerships: Some of the smartest high volume through disruptive products new markets. Promote the brightest people are not in your company, but and pricing. within your company. Recruit new somewhere else in the world. Operate Inbound marketing: Leverage online people to spice up the knowledge mix. with crowd-sourced designs, released technology to find and get found by Design differently: Have you noticed under share-friendly licensing. Build potential customers. Maximise use of that all industrial products look alike — virtual teams. social networks to develop and utilise bulky, ugly and heavy? Don’t Advanced manufacturing: Reverse customer feedback and opinions.

A D _ P Ayour C Eproducts; M E T Ago PR _ 1 2 . p offshore df Poutsourcing. a g e 4 Produce 2 0 / 0 3 / 1 2 , 5Advertising: : 1 1 PStop M advertising to the dumb-down way out with advanced features that will cheaper and better at your own same-old customers the same-old ways.

Generate new promotions to attract new customers. Refine your advertising with more frequent, web-orientated pricing.

Sales channels: Find sales channels that know your target audience and can drive your solution-specific products.

Don’t go to the same-old, same-old conferences and shows.

Commitment: This kind of change can only start at the top. The champion must be the CEO, demanding fresh thinking with measurable results.

Jim@JimPinto.com

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PACE.APR12.PG006.pdf

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OPINION

maNagemeNt

Don’t guess with carbon tax Companies should now focus on limiting the costs of paying the tax, says Brendan Welsh.

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OW that the carbon tax has been approved by Parliament, companies should shift their attention to limiting the costs of paying the tax.

A range of highly sophisticated analytic devices designed to measure and quantify emissions from flues, chimneys and furnaces is available to companies affected by the tax. This equipment can be used to monitor which gases are being expelled into the atmosphere. That’s the first step companies can take in reducing the amount of carbon and other environmentally harmful chemicals they release.

Unfortunately, many of these gases are simply byproducts of modern manufacturing or processing techniques and, therefore, can’t necessarily be avoided.

However, in many instances they can be reduced.

Soon, limiting carbon emissions will be viewed a cost-saving exercise. Over the past few years, many If these gases remain unchecked, the global warming larger polluters have been environmentally responsible potential could be extreme. And companies exceeding in monitoring their emissions. However, smaller or their legal emissions limit will have to pay. mid-sized emitters are yet to be placed under the microHaving regular air quality agency personnel attend scope. A carbon tax will change all that. a site and set up monitoring gear is an expensive, often That’s why companies need to be fully aware of what intrusive and time-consuming task. If these agencies CO2 e-tonnes they are emitting because some chemicals need to visit more than twice a year, the cost to compaare far worse for the environment than carbon. nies can exceed that of purchasing and installing their For instance, nitrous oxide has the ability to trap own monitoring equipment.

296 times more heat per kilogram than carbon dioxide, Before settling on a monitoring system, investiwhile sulphur hexafluoride can trap 22,200 times more gate the differences between them. Some monitoring AD_ PACET URAPR_ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 / 0 3 / 1 2 , 4 : 1 5 PM heat per kilo than CO2. systems require employees to climb ladders and plat-

forms attached to chimneys to check results or make adjustments, which greatly increases OH&S risks on site and often requires additional personnel training.

But other equipment, such as an extractive solution, is land-based and can be housed in the vicinity of the flue. The equipment can be checked and maintained in a safe environment adjacent to the chimney or flue.

A rack-mounted system designed specifically for this task can be installed straight out of the box. It can be pre-configured in a factory to measure what a company needs so that when it arrives it can be ready to work from Day 1. Make sure your chosen system integrates easily with your existing plant and that spare parts are readily available. Ensure that servicing can be carried out by trained experts in the field. This will make a huge difference in avoiding lengthy delays down the track when replacement parts or upgrades are required.

Check that your provider has an understanding of Australian Carbon Tax Legislation and the relevant European and Australian Standards. It would be helpful if they have supplied analytical instrumentation to overseas companies where carbon emissions are already being governed. A company that fully understands the ramifications of Australia’s new Carbon Tax legislation will prove to be a valuable partner in years to come.

[Brendan Welsh (brendan.welsh@siemens.com) is Marketing Manager for the Process Analytics Division of Siemens Australia.] www.siemens.com.au

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PACE.APR12.PG008.pdf

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NEWS

SOFTWARE

Local manufacturers can move up the chain

BY KEVIN GOMEZ SIEMENS PLM Software has appointed KC Yee as senior vice president and managing director of its AsiaPacific operations.

Based in Hong Kong, KC and his team will be responsible for sales, services delivery and sales support. On a recent visit to Sydney, he took time out of his schedule to talk to PACE. With much of the low-technology manufacturing moving offshore, local companies need to move up the value chain, reckons KC. “We can facilitate and even instigate his transition,” says KC, pointing to his company’s capabilities in serving advanced markets.

Aside from manufacturing and automotive, another area where Siemens PLM Software boasts a strong presence is in defence especially in the navy as Australia continues to retain strong capabilities in this sector.

8 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

KC and his team will also draw on the resources of parent company Siemens to penetrate deeper into key growth areas like mining. Their existing customers are mainly in equipment design but there will be a push into the process areas of mining as well as the EPC market.

There is a concerted effort to look at the supply chain, looking at feeder industries so as to get a ripple effect.

“Australia is still a growing market for us,” says KC. “We have had success in mining globally, we now need to bring that expertise into Australia.”

There continues to be some spending in local CPG and food & beverage segments. “But customers need solutions that fit within that domain,” explains Rajiv Ghatikar, ASEAN Vice President & General Manager, Siemens PLM Software. “These have been outlying segments and we have not been as well

PLM: KC Yee sees potential in Australia.

invested and it is a challenge to take our applications into these areas.” With few references in these areas, the challenge for KC and the team will be to find

ways to map into these industries with their technology.

“But Australia is a mature market and has some of the best practices and processes in the region with customers who demand a lot from us and of themselves,” says KC. To better get the message across, the company will be hosting its user group conference, Siemens PLM Connection, in Melbourne in May this year. To demonstrate its commitment to the local market, for the first time, this will be a Siemens-driven, rather than a partnerled event in Australia.

KC brings 30 years of experience to the role, along with 15 years of experience in general management positions.

His previous management roles include stints at Infor Global Solutions, IBM, SSA, Atos, JD Edwards and Serena Software. www.plm.automation.siemens.com

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PACE.APR12.PG010.pdf

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opinion

compliance

Is food safety getting worse?

The industry must constantly raise the bar for food safety, writes John Blanchard.

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ITH the risk of food contamination increasing, producers, manufacturers, retailers, regulators and the consuming public all continually raise the bar for food safety. The variety of potential contaminants that must be detected across the food supply chain complicates screening procedures.

This is because no single device or technology can screen for all types. Even when an incident occurs, it’s difficult to identify the cause and its source rapidly because of the limited capability of available technology for sample preparation, identification and detection, and tracking and tracing.

There are many types of biological, chemical and physical sources of contamination. New sources of contamination constantly arise from recycling efforts, product reformulation, product counterfeiting, and other malicious and non-malicious sources.

However, the industry is putting improved technology and practices into place and new technology is evolving rapidly to help further protect the consuming public. These include continuous quality verification; state-ofthe-art, analytics-based risk assessment; and more timely and granular track and trace systems.

Improving food and beverage product quality and safety goes hand in hand with efforts to lower manufacturing and supply chain cost while reducing business risk.

Global sourcing and rapid distribution have increased the risk of a largescale incident. The Red Sudan incident is a perfect example.

Sudan 1, a banned carcinogenic red food dye, was used to make red chili powder. This single ingredient created a major global incident before authorities discovered it had entered the global food supply chain, prompting dozens of product recalls.

Over 600 food products were recalled. These included curry sauce, Worcester sauce, pesto sauce, ready to 10 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

eat meals, soups, sausage, pizza and Dijon mustard mayonnaise from major food companies such as Unilever, Heinz, McDonalds, Tesco and Sainsbury.

New sources of contamination continue to be discovered. These are due to product reformulation, material recycling, and discovery that some ingredients are not as safe as once

thought. Many companies are reformulating their food products with ingredients that help lower costs or improve the health benefits.

However, ingredient changes can also change the water activity of the product and make it more susceptible to spoilage and bacterial growth. Just this year, Nestle announced that it is collaborating with paper manufacturers

to evaluate different approaches for developing new grades of recycled paper in light of concerns about oil leaking into foods from packaging material made from recycled newspaper.

Statistics on the number of incidents of food borne illnesses or the number of incidents caused by the five major pathogens do not provide evidence of a decline in incidents.

Overall, the number of incidents and their severity seem to be relatively constant year to year.

In the US, this translates into 76 million gastrointestinal illnesses, 325,000 hospitalisations, 5000 deaths, and billions of dollars in costs. This is the result of poor producing and manufacturing operations as well as poor food safety practices on the part of the consumer.

However, a single, highly publicised incident has the potential to devastate brand value or even destroy a company. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the industry is to identify and deploy new technologies that can prevent contaminated product from reaching the consumer more effectively as well as technology that can help minimise the impact of incidents that do occur.

Companies must put technology and enforced workflow procedures in place across the manufacturing supply chain and out to the customer. This includes constant risk assessment. Continuous quality verification technology should be deployed wherever possible.

More granular and accurate tracking and tracing will also be required. Tracking and tracing using pa-per records or extensive manual entry into electronic records is no longer sufficient.

Packaging and bottling operations typically lack sufficient continuous quality verification. While most packaging line machinery is highly automated, most labelling and inspection operations remain manual or semimanual, open-loop systems.

As a result, allergen mislabelling

?

PACE.APR12.PG011.pdf

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and non-readable date and bar codes offer complete process equipment data analytics that help identify problem still occur all too often. Product plat-forms for high-speed packaging areas and assess potential product inspection is often limited and relies operations. These integrate robotics, quality and safety risks. on older, less effective technology motion control, and vision technology Some now include more sophistito detect non-metal impurities. for handling food products such as meat cated model- based analysis and control.

Continuous quality verification systems and poultry.

In fact, most suppliers now offer some in packaging operations are be-coming Such platforms eliminate human form of model predictive control a business and regulatory requirement. handling of product to eliminate a (MPC) in their production manageOptical character recognition (OCR) source of product contamination. ment software suites. systems ensure that information such Inspection by automated vision techQuality, risk, and compliance as date and lot codes are accurate and nology also eliminates error-prone management systems (QMS) have readable and provide 100 percent human inspection. evolved over time to address the in-line inspection. Laser measurementFood manufacturers are deploying growing needs of the regulated manusensor technology is at the heart of new software solutions to address facturing industries. These systems help other packaging line, “continuous product quality and safety. These ensure product quality and safety as well quality verification” solutions. include quality management systems, as compliance with government regulaThese verify proper package production management systems, model tions and industry standards, while positioning and detect jams online, predictive control, and electronic track minimising the risk to a manufacturing and can detect other rejects, such as and trace systems. enterprise associated with off-quality faulty carton seals and inadequate cap Production management software product or noncompliance with governclosures. New, continuous on-line solutions have evolved to include many ment regulations.

X-ray systems can detect many foreign functions such as workflow design Mission-specific functionality is objects such as most metal, glass, and enforcement; KPI dashboards for included for manufacturing, engiplastic, quality, service, A D _bone P Aand C Erock.

G E M A P R _ 1 2 . p analysing df Pa g e productivity, 1 2 1 / 0and 3 / 1 2 , neering, 1 2 : quality, 5 5 Pcustomer M Other technology providers now asset utilisation; and several levels of purchasing, and corporate manage-

ment. Typically QMS software include modules to manage quality, documents, change, internal and external audits, training, BOMs, supplier quality, compliance and submissions, customer complaints, incidents, risk, nonconformance and deviation, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), and environmental health and safety (EH&S) compliance.

Business and regulatory requirements drive a global effort to improve product genealogy tracking and tracing from the “farm to the fork.” It impacts companies that produce, manufacture, process, pack, hold, transport, distribute, and receive food products for human or animal consumption.

While most regulations require “one up and one down” record keeping, good business due diligence requires tracking and tracing from the source of an ingredient or product to the purchase by the retail customer.

This includes information on compa- >

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APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 11

PACE.APR12.PG012.pdf

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OPINION

nies as well as the products.

As real-time tracking and tracing systems evolve, they should be designed with all possible business benefits in mind. A tracking and tracing system should be integrated into all business activities including balancing incoming and outgoing supply chains, product recall, theft, anti-counterfeiting, asset management and tracking, and other business functions.

The new generation of quality management systems enables quality management tracking and tracing of suppliers and other partners in the supply chain. Production management systems provide significant tracking and tracing within manufacturing prior to packaging operations.

This includes such functions as recipe management, batch lot tracking, and in-process genealogy.

Driven by the increased need for Aproduct D _ P serialisation, A C E R O Ypackaging APR_ 1 2 . p d f operations management systems are

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improving in functionality. However, most systems lack the full level of required functionality.

ARC believes packaging floor product identification and traceability systems must provide specific functionality to help reduce or eliminate inaccurate data, minimise the financial risk and scope of a potential product recall, and simplify current and future regulatory compliance.

While government regulations and the industry itself are doing more to ensure food safety, with the constantly changing sources of potential contamination the risk of a major incident continues to increase. In response, the industry must constantly raise the bar for food safety by continuing to implement best practices and deploying the latest technology.

[John Blanchard (jblanchard@ ARCweb.com) is Principal Analyst, ARC Advisory Group.]

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PACE.APR12.PG013.pdf

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OPiNiON

medical

Automation of businesses

Process automation can contribute significantly to boosting efficiency, writes Jason Thelander.

A

USTRALIA has a vibrant medical devices industry focused on exporting its products and creating overseas markets.

Companies in the Australian medical devices industry undertake a wide range of activities including the research, development, manufacture, and distribution of products ranging from surgical gloves and syringes to artificial joints and hearts.

It has been estimated that around 17,500 people are employed in the industry.

Australia represents a large and highly advanced A D _ medical P A C Edevice R O Cmarket.

APR_ 1 2 _ 2 . p d f The Australian market for medical

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equipment and supplies was estimated to be $3,823 million in 2010, equal to $177 per capita.

Australia also accounts for around 1.7% of the total world market.

However, the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) estimated total annual revenue for the Australian medical technology industry to be $7.6 billion in 2009-2010 with this figure being extrapolated from various sources of data.

The industry is unique in that it imports most of what it uses (98.8%), and exports most of what it produces (97.2%), mainly to the United States, New > Zealand, Europe, Japan and the

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PACE.APR12.PG014.pdf

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OPINION

United Kingdom.

The global nature of the industry means that its future viability and continued success will be based on its ability to develop competitive products for export markets.

To remain competitive in a relatively high-cost economy such as Australia, the application of automation is an essential ingredient in creating sustainable medical devices manufacturing businesses.

The right investment in modern, custom-designed, custom-built and fully installed automation solutions will enable businesses to achieve success in increasingly competitive global markets and grow exports into the rapidly developing economies of the world.

When applied appropriately the benefits are clear.

Automation of the manufacturing process not only drives down costs, it improves quality, reduces waste, optimises energy use and achieves flexibility.

Flexibility is important in this industry, as the need for productivity improvements is a constant challenge.

Balancing production requirements against sales forecasts in a heavily regulated industry can make this difficult.

Developing a process with an eye on future automation can benefit companies if they meet their sometimes optimistic sales forecast and find themselves scrambling to meet demand.

Partnering early with a firm that has a strong experience in automation can lead to developing a process in a stepwise manner, and making the transition from a labour-intensive process to a highly productive process easier to manage.

The nature of the finished product in the medical devices industry typically means that a unique manufacturing process is required, as opposed to traditional pharma where the equipment required is typically sourced off-the-shelf.

This requirement for a unique process can provide the need for innovative ideas within large companies to improve their processes.

Consequently, this will foster opportunities for custom-engineering and automation specialist firms which can put in place plans to strategically improve a process over several years 14 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

PRODUCTIVITY: Precision Mechatronics has recently delivered a production prototype unit to Cochlear (different machine pictured), which via process automation, will reduce the number of people movements within the cleanroom environment by at least a magnitude.

SPECIALISED: The nature of the finished product in the medical devices industry typically means that a unique manufacturing process is required, as opposed to traditional pharma where the equipment required is typically sourced off-the-shelf. if needed with the regulatory requirements in mind.

The Australian medical devices industry is largely comprised of SMEs, in particular, companies with fewer than 10 employees.

However, the top end of the industry is represented by its two truly global players: Cochlear and ResMed. Cochlear designs, manufactures

and sells the Nucleus Cochlear implant along with the Bone Conduction Hearing Solution Baha osseointegrated bone conduction implant, with an estimated 250,000 cochlear implant/ Baha recipients receiving a Cochlear Limited product since their establishment in 1981.

At the heart of Cochlear’s

product development is one simple idea.

Innovation.

In order to allow engineers to focus on continuing their innovation work, Cochlear outsources parts of the design and manufacturing of custom machinery for their production facilities.

Precision Mechatronics has engaged with Cochlear in several projects over the last two years.

These projects have ranged from straight replication work, to automation of labour-intensive processes, as well as solving material handling challenges.

Process automation is key driver to success for companies like Cochlear.

This is true in industries in Australia, as reflected in our declining rates of national productivity.

Our high currency value, and relatively high labour costs among other factors make the need for an efficient process critical.

Process automation can contribute significantly to this.

Precision Mechatronics has recently delivered a production prototype unit to Cochlear, which via process automation will reduce the number of people movements within the cleanroom environment by at least a magnitude.

The benchtop unit removes the need for the operator to make tens of trips within the cleanroom.

This offers multiple benefits: a better working environment for the operator, a more efficient process and also importantly for this regulatory environment, a more consistent process with a reduced risk of human error.

While the development of the medical device industry is open to speculation, the presence of the big two, Cochlear and Resmed does provide an excellent pool of talent to base the growth of the industry.

Already there are several small companies that have taken the lead from these two and are looking to make the next breakthrough.

[Jason Thelander (jthelander@ premecha.com) is CEO Precision Mechatronics.] www.premecha.com

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PACE.APR12.PG016.pdf

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Managing pharma calibrations Calibrating instruments properly in a timely manner is an important aspect of ensuring that a pharmaceutical product is manufactured properly.

T

he pharmaceutical industry produces products that directly affect the life of the majority of people. A seemingly small mistake or failure could adversely affect the health of thousands.

Regulators in the pharmaceutical industry recognise these stakes and have implemented various regulations to ensure the integrity of pharmaceutical processes and, hence, the safety and efficacy of the pharmaceutical products on which billions of people rely.

Individuals who are not directly associated with the pharmaceutical industry should take note because some aspects of these regulations are being adopted in the process industries. Therefore, it would be pragmatic to use equipment and adopt practices that either meet or can easily be upgraded to meet pharmaceutical requirements.

Some high-volume pharmaceuticals are often manufactured using continuous processing techniques; however, pharmaceutical manufacturing is typically performed in batches. These processes typically incorporate many pressure and temperature measurements such as local indicators (gauges), transmitters and switches.

Many of these measurements are at extreme conditions such as may be found in an autoclave. While there may be some flowmeters, batch processes typically incorporate weighing instruments to implement material additions.

Some processes involve clean rooms where the measurement of low differential pressures is important.

Process measurements can be critical to ensure product quality. Calibrating instruments properly in a timely manner is an important aspect of ensuring that a pharmaceutical product is manufactured properly. Calibration documentation can be used to verify that calibrations have been performed properly prior to producing products.

Should there be a problem, this information may prove to be a key factor in determining when, where and/ or how an error was made. Therefore,

16 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

key NOteS

Keep in Mind o Automated electronic calibration and electronic documentation save time and are less prone to human error than are manual calibration and paper documentation. o Electronic documentation allows all calibration information to be located in one database for easy access and use. o Proper calibration and its documentation are important for maintaining the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals.

Electronic records do not inherently contain signatures that identify the person performing a calibration.

governing bodies tend to regulate the type of information collected and the time interval between calibrations.

Documentation

Whereas specific regulations may vary somewhat around the world, the underlying design premise behind calibration requirements is to ensure that

instrument calibrations are performed correctly. Traditionally, this meant generating a paper trail of calibration information including its time, date, test equipment, as-found data, as-left data, and the like. however, this is only the “tip of the iceberg�. Calibration must be performed according to approved written procedures and the calibration records must be maintained for a certain period of time. each instrument should have a master history record, a unique identity, calibration period and calibration error limits.

Product, process and safety instruments require that they be physically tagged and sometimes colour-coded.

The performance of calibration standards should be more accurate than the instrument being calibrated. The calibration of the calibration standard must be documented and performed periodically.

Using calibration standards that are traceable to national and international standards is required. Additional documentation pertaining to the technician and his/her qualifications and certifications to perform calibrations would also be needed to be able to demonstrate that the individual has been trained and is qualified and competent to perform the calibrations.

Calibration must be performed according to approved written proce- >

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TYPICAL: The calibration master schedule identifies an instrument that needs to be calibrated and downloads the appropriate calibration data. dures and the calibration records must be maintained for a certain period of time.

In most countries, these instrumentation requirements must be implemented within in the general context stipulated by 21 CFR Part 211 (Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Finished Pharmaceuticals). Among many other requirements, all instruments must be fit for their purpose and a documented change management system must be in place.

Pharmaceutical companies complied with these requirements by writing calibration information on paper forms that they developed for this purpose. Despite conformance with the regulations, paper documentation was both cumbersome and prone to human error. Simply put, it is not difficult to make mistakes when calculations are performed manually and most dates, times, measurements, calculation results, and the like are written by hand. Electronic documentation systems that do not require any paper were developed to overcome these disadvantages and reduce the amount of time techni18 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

Locating the original electronic records in one database can turn the calibration system into a powerful repository of decision-making history that can be used to improve calibration procedures.

cians spend in complying with documentation regulations. However, electronic records do not inherently contain signatures that identify the person performing a calibration.

Therefore, 21 CFR Part 11 (Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures) addresses the additional issue of ensuring the documentation of these people. Electronic calibration systems for the pharmaceutical industry that

conform to the 21 CFR Parts 11 and 211, such as Beamex’s CMX calibration software and MC5 Multifunction Calibrators, can be integrated to provide automated documentation with less human intervention.

This results in fewer human errors, improved work quality, and improved efficiency that can directly affect profit. Moreover, locating the original electronic records in one database can not only reduce paper records into traceable electronic records with a history of change management, but can also turn the calibration system into a powerful repository of decisionmaking history that can be used to improve calibration procedures.

Versatile security settings and multilevel user accounts help to ensure the security and integrity of the system and track authorised and unauthorised database actions.

Calibration solutions

Instruments designed to measure flow, level, pressure, temperature and other

variables are generally used to monitor and control pharmaceutical processes.

In some applications, it is practical to remove these instruments and calibrate them on the bench. This is generally not the case so many instruments are calibrated in the field. Fortunately, there are calibration systems that are specifically designed to operate safely in rugged environments and hazardous locations.

After entering his/her username and password, the technician performs an automated “As Found” calibration. If the instrument does not pass calibration (as determined by the downloaded information in the calibrator), the technician can calibrate the instrument and perform an automated “As Left” calibration. Data from both calibrations are stored in the handheld calibrator to be uploaded to the database where it is documented.

[This article appears courtesy Beamex whose products are distributed in Australia

by AMS Instrumentation & Calibration.]

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 1800 804 516 www.ams-ic.com.au

18439_ARBS_PACE.pdf

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PACE.APR12.PG021.pdf

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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2012 SPONSORS

Introducing our 2012 sponsors The PACE Zenith Awards recognise technical excellence and leadership in engineering across ten categories. PACE magazine thanks all the sponsors for supporting this premier event.

Transport, Power and Infrastructure Honeywell Process Solutions has provided automation control services for over 40 years, helping industrial customers meet their process automation needs.

From production and supply chain management to project management services, control systems and field devices, the strength of Honeywell’s product and service portfolio allows automation solutions to be tailored to meet business needs across a host of industry sectors.

“The ability to transcend industry sectors has seen Honeywell remain at the forefront of innovation and technology,” Garry Mahoney, Pacific Director, Honeywell Process Solutions said.

By using leading technology and services, domain expertise, project management experience, and global engineering and support resources, Honeywell to develop A D _ Pcontinues A C E WE I 2 A Psolutions R _ 1 2to. meet p d the f changing P a g eneeds 1 of1customers 4 / 3 / 1 2 , across a range of industries, including mining, oil and gas, manufacturing and

power generation.

“As experts across a range of sectors, including within power generation, it is our continuing focus to ensure that plant operations in Australia and around the world remain safe, reliable and efficient.”

“Honeywell takes pride in its contribution to the industry and we are therefore delighted to sponsor the Transport, Power and Infrastructure category in this year’s PACE Zenith Awards,” Mahoney said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the industry to celebrate new and forwardthinking ideas, for the ultimate growth and advancement of process control in Australia,” adds Mahoney.

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APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 21

PACE.APR12.PG022.pdf

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MASTERCLASS

Biogas: How to benefit from this truly sus

The manufacture and use of biogas has grown exponentially in recent years as market conditions drive the prof itability

H

ITECH Instruments, specialises in the manufacture of hazardous area certified biogas analysers, wireless communications and surge protection equipment for anaerobic digester (AD) plant installations.

Biogas represents a truly sustainable renewable energy source; its use has grown exponentially in recent years, a trend that is no doubt set to continue as market conditions including increasingly scarce and expensive fossil fuels, drive the profitability of this renewable alternative. Generally used as a direct fuel source for power generation, biogas can also be used as a provision of thermal energy either directly at the point of generation or increasingly as feedback into a wider gas network grid.

What is biogas?

Biogas is gas produced when organic material (such as food waste, crops or animal slurries) decomposes in the absence of oxygen, such as in an anaerobic digester or landfill facility, and typically containing around 60% Methane (CH4) and 40% Carbon Dioxide (CO2) with some other trace gases such as Oxygen (O2), Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) and moisture. Exact composition of the gas will vary depending on a wide range of factors.

Organic matter decomposing in aerobic conditions (i.e. in the presence of O2) will not produce CH4, just CO2 which is well known for being a harmful greenhouse gas. While CH4 is twenty times more powerful as a greenhouse gas, by producing it through a controlled anaerobic digestion process allows it to be captured and put to use.

Biogas can be used in a variety of ways: o Burned in a biogas boiler to create heat o Combusted in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engine to create electricity and heat o Scrubbed of CO2 and other trace gases and then: o injected into the gas distribution network as bio-methane 22 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

MANAGED: Biogas plants require daily support and control as it has a sensitive biological process at its core.

SAMPLE TAKE-OFF: Ensuring the installation is configured correctly is critical to the reliable operation of a plant.

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PRESENTED BY

uly sustainable renewable energy source

he prof itability of this renewable alternative.

(Bio-Methane to Grid = BtG) o compressed and used as a vehicle fuel These uses displace the need for fossil fuels and commonly attract government incentives.

How does it work?

Biogas plants require daily support and control as it has a sensitive biological process at its core, with performance closely tied to a range of factors including the type of feedstock, operating temperature, residence time and mixing of the substrate.

Fermentation is at the heart of any biogas plant where the majority of CH4 is produced.

Most digesters are tower like constructions with capacities >1000m3, part of which is often underground.

Feedstock is pumped into the digester and this organic slurry is constantly agitated to ensure a homogeneous mixture. Operating at temperatures from 40ºC - 70ºC, bacteria break down the organic material into the various gases.

A useful by-product is the spent digestate which can be used as a high quality organic fertilizer, being rich in both phosphates and nitrates.

After leaving the digester biogas is passed through condensers, knock-out pots and a series of filters to remove

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remaining moisture and particulates.

Raw biogas is often passed through a desulphurisation unit; here H2S content is reduced by injecting around 5% air into the gas flow, causing oxidation of the H2S into solid sulphur.

If untreated, H2S can damage the CHP generators by forming sediment in the engine oil as deposits accumulate in the cylinder heads and valve seats can become damaged resulting in considerable repair costs.

With continuous measurement, oil change cycles can be optimised representing a significant reduction in running costs.

Engine manufacturers often demand upper limits for the H2S concentration of 100-1000 ppm, only guaranteeing equipment if continuous proof can be provided that the H2S

limit has been observed.

Quality of the resulting biogas determines how much energy it can generate; with CH4 concentration linked to the efficiency of the CHP process. Increases of around 5% CH4 concentration can lead to an increase in the generated electrical power of around 10%.

Measure biogas makeup

It is important to understand biogas composition across the various production stages for a number of key reasons: Oxygen Concentration Measurement – this is critical process indicator, ensure you are not producing an inefficient or even explosive mixture of CH4 and O2 gases. Increasing O2 levels indicate performance issues leading to a decrease in microbial activity (poisoning) in the anaerobic digester affecting productivity.

Hydrogen Sulphide Concentration Measurement – as a highly toxic and corrosive gas it is essential its concentration be monitored. High levels of H2S must be prevented as it is corrosive to engines and can condense and form sulphuric acid within the process resulting in large operational and maintenance costs. Most engines typically require less than 200ppm H2S, but as the concentration can often rise well above this it is important to know when this is occurring so appropriate steps can be taken.

Methane Concentration Measurement – as the desired product, it is essential your plant maximises the percentage of CH4 produced. With many installations being able to benefit from Government backed incentives, it is often essential to document and record the quality and composition of the biogas generated.

ORGANISED: Schematic of a typical installation.

Carbon Dioxide Measurement – CO2 concentration is a good indicator of the performance of the plant, ensuring that the anaerobic digester is operating efficiently. Rising CO2 levels would indicate a drop in quality of the fuel being supplied to the CHP generator.

HITECH INSTRUMENTS

unique solutions o Hitech’s sensor designs utilise a combination of specialised extralong life galvanic cell and infra-red technology for optimum performance and durability. o ATEX Zone 2 rated instruments can be installed in the widest variety of locations. As global standards are increasingly moving towards a hazardous area rating by default, Hitech instruments ensures that users will have the correct equipment installed should there be changes in the enforced safety standard. o The instruments are designed for continuous online sample measurement (not batch sampling).

The analysers provide real time process data. o No maintenance or consumable cell changes are typically required within two year intervals, Sensor overhaul kits are competitively priced. o There are no service contracts required as the instruments are designed with simple onsite operation and maintenance in mind.

Should any sensors or electronics need to be changed; this can be performed on site, eliminating the need for units to have to be sent back to the factory. o Hitech Instruments also offers a range of intrinsic safety, industrial network, visualisation and surge protection accessories complement its range of gas analysers. www.hitech-inst.co.uk

Measure your biogas

Selecting the correct analyser to match your process requirements is only part of the solution.

Ensuring your installation is configured correctly is critical to the accurate, reliable and trouble free operation of your plant.

APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

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A guide to wireless sensor technology The push by organisations to boost productivity calls for additional measurements resulting in the deployment of additional transmitters. The IEC 62591 standard can meet this need, write Brett Biondi and Jonas Berge.

S

INCE its emergence, managers and engineers have done due diligence on IEC 62591 WirelessHART, considered to be a global standard for wireless sensor based technologies. Many engineers now look to WirelessHART to cost effectively automate manual tasks, proactively maintain and monitor critical assets, comply with regulatory frameworks such as the EPA, drive productivity improvements and minimise production costs.

Thousands of WirelessHART networks with hundreds of millions of operating hours are in service around the world. How are engineers using wireless to create greater competitive advantage? This article begins by understanding WirelessHART and then looks at innovative ways engineers are using the technology.

The heart of any operation is the process control system and there have been myriads of advances from pneumatic to electrical and electronic communications, from centralised control to distributed control in increasingly, remote operations centres controlling/monitoring multiple facilities.

At the core of all of these advances is information, and turning that information into timely, cost effective, decision criteria. At the centre of all of this have been advances in sensor based technology. Sensors now not only provide information on the health of the device but also on the health of the process.

This would not have been possible without HART communications.

Since its inception in 1989, it is estimated that here are approximately 30+ million HART devices installed/in service but this information was accessed in an ad hoc fashion and/or stranded in the device. With this installed base, in consultation with industry, vendors and regulatory bodies came together and IEC 62591 WirelessHART was born.

IEC 62591 WirelessHART was approved by the International Electrotechnical Commission as a global standard for wireless sensor based networks in April 2010.

24 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

UNIFORM: All WirelessHART transmitters have standard COMM terminals for connecting a handheld field communicator and other tools.

Prior to this, NAMUR and its enduser membership, jointly developed NE124 in November 2009.

NE124 outlined end user requirements for wireless in process industries relative application class, network availability, coexistence, security, interoperability, power management, system integration, forward and backward compatibility, network management, diagnostics, configuration/commissioning, device replacement and certification.

WirelessHART addresses these requirements and to date is still the only IEC ratified wireless sensor global standard. The issues and the basis of thought leaders’ decision making on NE124 and WirelessHART are addressed subsequently.

The NAMUR NE 124 recommendation identified three classes of applications. Wireless is predominantly used in class C applications (indication and

monitoring) but with the recent advent of 1 second devices, also features in class B applications (process control).

While not used for class A (functional safety) WirelessHART is often times installed as a mechanism to monitor device/system health and reduce mitigation mechanisms and proactively provide warning on pending issues.

Network availability

A plant is oftentimes a challenging environment for wireless or Radio Frequency (RF) communications. RF communications must contend with propagating/ communicating over piping, vessels, structural steel, moving objects such as vehicles and other devices emitting an RF signature (which may or may not be noise at the communicated RF signal). It must also do this without user intervention in a self managed fashion.

A WirelessHART system is a self

organising, self healing, adaptive network featuring multi-hop, deep mesh architecture. At the heart of the system is the wireless gateway, controlling communications and perennially challenging the network and devices for path optimisation and alternate path options.

Multiple paths are maintained such that when a new obstacle appears blocking the path, an alternate path is used for the information to reach the gateway and control system. As it’s a standard, all transmitters, regardless of manufacturer, participate in the mesh topology to ensure a multitude of communications paths are available and reliability needs are met.

If required, redundant WirelessHART gateways are available providing redundant communication masters which self monitor and perform ‘hot swaps’ — changeover in the advent of a failure reporting this to the control host.

Naturally, some applications require faster updates and lower latency than others: some of course are the exact opposite in a relative sense.

WirelessHART is a user defined, time synchronised/scheduled communications protocol. WirelessHART transmitters timestamp measurements from the original point of measurement allowing latency to be tracked and have a selectable update period adjustable from 1 second to 1 hour. Therein the user has control over the devices reporting (by default power module life) with time stamped communications. This is all achieved behind the scenes and without user intervention by the gateway and devices reporting network availability/ alternate path options.

Coexistence

As a global standard, a WirelessHART field network potentially has to operate at the same time, in close proximity, to other wireless network technologies in the same 2.4 GHz band (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee and known as in-band interference).

WirelessHART uses the IEEE 802.15.4 standard using Direct

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y

ment ge.

ISOLATED: The power module prevents mixing of cells and enables hazardous area replacement.

Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) but Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum randomly channel hopping from one communications channel to another on a packet by packet basis. If momentary use of the selected channel is detected, the network migrates to another available channel and re-establishes communications. If broad use of a selected number of channels is evident, the WirelessHART channel black lists those channels and communicates within the known set of free channels. Intelligence such as this embedded into the communications protocol ensures coexistence in light of ‘in band’ interference.

Security

Understandably security has been at the forefront of end user concerns in the adoption wireless technology.

WirelessHART security measures may be classified as (1) data protection and (2) network protection.

Data Protection. Data protection/confidentiality deals with privacy and integrity of communicated data. When transmitting, privacy in the WirelessHART standard uses end to end (data source to data recipient) 128-bit AES encryption on a message by message basis.

It also uses CCM* technology checking for tampering during transmission, attacks trying to change the network routing information and ensuring devices and information shared are authenticated.

In addition to this, a separate common network encryption key (autonomously routinely changed subject to site security policy) is shared by devices when broadcast information is shared across

the network (for example challenging network path efficiency).

Devices attempting to join the network must pass a separate 128-bit ‘join’ encryption key test or their access will be denied. In effect information is checked on transmission for authenticity, packet size/alteration, source and destination and network verification.

Network Protection. Network protection is concerned with ensuring the network remains functioning. Attacks may emerge from devices impersonating authenticated devices to steal legitimate information, attempting to insert malicious code or disrupting network services in the form of a denial of service attack.

Regarding impersonation, as above, WirelessHART will look to authenticate and validate device communications and deny service to the unauthorised device(s). Moreover, the size of the data frame is small and a predetermined known size and checks via CRC and CCM* mitigates this possibility.

With respect to denial of service, again WirelessHART uses a random hopping algorithm with channel blacklisting using low power of 10mW in communicating.

In both cases these security mechanisms are on permanently and autonomous to the user. Following from this, all site personnel have to do is ensure they follow routine procedures such as not giving out password access to the gateway and then as normal configuring WirelessHART transmitters via a wired HART maintenance terminal.

WirelessHART networks using a Wi-Fi backhaul network should also consider the security of the backhaul network.

Interoperability

Process applications require many types of measurements such as flow, level, valve position, pH, conductivity, vibration, temperature, pressure and acoustic as well as on/off contact input and level switches. These measurements may come from different transmitter manufacturers and all vendors using WirelessHART undergo certification from the HART Foundation. Certified WirelessHART transmitters of different types, from many manufacturers, integrate into the system similarly using the same application protocol. There are many considerations in designing and commissioning a wireless network. Plants already have digital devices using hardwired and bus integration into intelligent device manage> ment software: predominantly using

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APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

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IN FOCUS

Device Description (DD) or the newer enhanced Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). Using another device definition technology and establishing new practices increases the cost of adoption. However using wireless technology that supports the EDDL standard can streamline integration yet provide for many of the benefits such as device and process diagnostics.

The WirelessHART standard supports EDDL technology enabling WirelessHART transmitter integration in existing intelligent device management software. When the EDDL file for the WirelessHART transmitter is loaded, the system automatically picks the correct EDDL file for the transmitter requiring no manual intervention.

A control system has an expected lifespan of 15 years or more. Over its lifecycle, new types and versions of wired and wireless transmitters will come into the plant. The control system must be kept up to date with these to avoid technical obsolescence.

Therefore, using a device integration technology which has no dependency on version releases of Microsoft Windows ensures backwards and forwards compatibility between system and wireless transmitters. Again WirelessHART uses EDDL technology which is a textbased standard (totally independent of Microsoft Windows) and new versions of WirelessHART transmitters can be deployed without having to upgrade the Windows version on the control system.

Power module

There are several considerations when selecting the power module in a wireless system. Firstly replacing power modules does require manpower and inserting old and new battery cells together in a transmitter, or using a battery which has been dropped, could result in a hazard.

A preferred wireless technology enables battery life of several years and provides keying to ensure correct insertion. Additionally battery cells which are permanently encapsulated into power module casing prevent the mixing of discharged cells with good cells.

Finally subject to application need, consideration needs to be given to power module certification. Failure to consider certification for a hazardous area will mean the device will have to be removed from service in order to change the power module.

WirelessHART uses the extremely 26 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

Application Class

Description

Remarks

A

Functional safety

Time-critical applications governed by the requirements of functional safety standards.

B

Process control

Time-critical, deterministic applications requiring high availability and reliability.

C

Indication and monitoring

Applications which are not time-critical

TABLE: NAMUR NE 124 application classes.

MONITORED: Live graphical representation of communication health in wireless network management software. low-power IEEE 802.15.4 radio communications with sensors turned off between measurements to preserve the life of the power module. Careful selection of vendor can mean that WirelessHART transmitters in a mesh topology may provide a battery life of up to ten years (depending on sensor type and update period configured).

Preventing network disruptions and providing for effective troubleshooting are key issues for network design, maintenance and selection.

Key metrics in network management diagnostics entail communication statistics such as missed updates, discarded updates, reliability, path stability, signal strength, latency, number of re-joins, timestamps for last join, maintenance of a “live list� of devices, service denials due to network load and power module

status/health. The WirelessHART standard provides communication status for all of the above and can provide for user friendly graphics to aid interpretation of information.

Device diagnostics

An often asked question by engineering concerns any potential differences in diagnosing device issues in a wireless system. The WirelessHART standard forms part of the HART 7.1 standard.

As such, no new equipment, training on devices is required.

Universal commands and specific commands are used to access diagnostics in the transmitter making WirelessHART transmitters easy to troubleshoot. If an asset management application is used, the richness and ease of use of the wireless system becomes

apparent. This can be exemplified by adding a WirelessHART THUM to a legacy non-wireless device to provide insights into the device and possibly the processes health.

Certification

If wireless transmitters are unable to join the network, the plant commissioning and startup would be delayed. To avoid this, NAMUR in NE124 mandated the use a wireless technology where interoperability and standard conformance is tested by an independent third-party.

As such, all WirelessHART transmitters are interoperability tested by the HART Communication Foundation providing trouble free commissioning in the field.

End users have undertaken a process of due diligence in assessing IEC 62591 WirelessHART. Today WirelessHART is used across a variety of applications by a diverse range of end users across a range of industries. While a generalisation, WirelessHART use could be classified as conforming to applications of (1) process/asset reliability monitoring/ control (2) process throughput/efficiency gains (3) personnel productivity improvements and (4) health/safety and environmental improvements and compliance with mandates.

Process/asset reliability monitoring/ control applications include motor/ pump, valve automation monitoring with benefits in limiting reactive instances of production slowd owns or worse — unplanned shutdowns.

Process throughput/efficiency gains include automated steam trap monitoring, tank level, rotating kiln and rotating device measurement and better boiler profiling; all realising in efficiency gains and huge savings in energy costs.

Historically, manufacturers tended to optimise production relative to demand needs. In the current globally competitive environment, strategic companies seek to manage energy and utility costs to optimise production at minimal cost.

Even a 1 to 2% saving in energy costs can equate to savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

[Brett Biondi (brett.biondi@ emerson.com) is the Wireless Business Development Manager for Emerson Process Management across Australia and New Zealand. Jonas Berge is Director, Emerson Process Management.]

Emerson Process Management 1300 55 3051 www.emersonprocess.com.au

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NEW products

Pressure monitor Compact air flow monitor Weber’s vent-captor 3201.- is a solid state switching and monitoring device for use in industrial air handling applications. The compact air flow monitor is a self-contained switching device without any mechanical moving parts, that converts flow conditions into electrical switching signals. The 3201.- has been designed to be installed into an air flow application and perform reliably even under harsh environmental conditions. It features a repeatable alarm; adjustable set-point; a switching range adjustable from 1 m/s to 10 m/s; ambient temperature of -20 °C to +70 °C and temperature drift < 0.5 % / K. Automated Control Engineering Group 02 4954 5004 www.aceg.com.au

Remote access Two communication modules have been added to the range of remote access solutions offered by Siemens. The TIM 3V-IE DNP3 and TIM 4R-IE DNP3 modules enable PLCs of the Simatic S7-300 and S7 400 series to be controlled and monitored over different communication networks, such as 3G, 4G mobile and other Ethernet-based networks. The second interface enables communication over classic serial networks. The modules support open DNP3 protocol, for communication with the control centre.

Siemens 137 222 www.siemens.com/telecontrol

Setra Systems’ Model SRPM (Setra Room Pressure Monitor) is designed for pharmaceutical, hospital, semiconductor, clean rooms, research laboratories and critical low differential pressure applications that require stringent pressure monitoring and alarming. The SRPM monitors the positive or negative pressure in protected environments and airborne infection isolation rooms per CDC guidelines. The SRPM monitor measures and displays accurate pressure readings to 0.001 inches of water column resolution. A large graphic RGB backlit touch-screen display allows fingertip access to menus that guide the user through room setup, application, security and calibration.

The SRPM features a green LED to indicate normal conditions, and a red LED, audible alarm, and SPDT relay, for remote annunciation, to signal unsatisfactory room pressure status.

The SRPM is auto-calibration capable when used with Setra’s Model 869 Expert System Low Pressure and Documenting Calibrator.

Pryde Measurement 1800 688 211 www.pryde.com.au

Intelligent inverter For functionally complex and dynamic drive applications, NORD Drivesystems has released a new model from its SK 500E line of control cabinet inverters. The intelligent SK 540E inverter supports the programming of drive-related functions according to IEC 61131. It has all the established features of the series but supports a wider range of drives than any of its sister models; in particular, it can control synchronous motors. It integrates a new universal encoder interface for energy recovery. SK 540E performs sophisticated tasks without an external PLC, thus saving on costs. Pump drives, for instance, can be upgraded with monitoring functions and characteristic curve functions, enabling them to directly react to fluctuating flow rates. Thanks to its high-performance microprocessor, the new inverter model is also suitable for high-speed cutting processes in turning and milling.

NORD Drivesystems 03 9394 0500 www.nord.com

Shielded railway connectors provide security The new railway connectors from Belden’s Lumberg Automation product range have been specially designed for use in trains. They provide maximum security as they comply with all international railway standards and stringent fire protection requirements including Hazard Level 2. Offering vibration-proof M12 connection technology, industry protection class IP67 and a wide temperature range of -40°C to +90°C, they are capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions. The connectors are offered as moulded ProfiNet or field-attachable versions. Individual lengths of cable are optionally available for the field-attachable connectors. Possible applications include the networking of control modules for doors and air conditioning in trains. The shielded railway connectors can also be used in combination with IP cameras or infotainment systems.

Belden www.beldensolutions.com 1800 500 775 28 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

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Escaping steam means lost energy and lost profits. If only I could monitor my steam traps without running all over the plant.

YOU CAN DO THAT Capture elusive energy savings with real-time automated steam trap monitoring.

Knowing the status of every steam trap could enable you to save up to 20% of steam loss and $4 million dollars a year in lost energy. With the Rosemount 708 Wireless Acoustic Transmitter, you’ll have instant visibility to all your critical steam traps through a non-intrusive, WirelessHART® monitoring system. Backed by Emerson’s proven experience in Smart Wireless field instrumentation, the Rosemount 708 will enable you to effectively and easily capture significant energy cost savings without running all over the plant. Talk to Emerson. We’re the experts in wireless so you don’t have to be.

rosemount.com/stopsteamloss The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2011 Emerson Electric Co.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Smart motors keep conveyors moving Australia’s largest cold-chain logistics service provider found a cost-effective way to improve reliability of the equipment which was failing due to an ageing conveyor system and ever-increasing volume of product.

W

ITH Swire Cold Storage’s Cannon Hill operation handling over 30,000 boxes of chilled product every day, it is not surprising that the site’s vast conveyor system plays a key role in the company’s temperature controlled warehousing and distribution operations.

However, as production levels have continued to rise over the years at the Brisbane site, so has the need to improve reliability of the equipment due to an ageing conveyor system and an ever-increasing volume of product.

Colin Carter, Swire Cold Storage’s Engineering Manager for Queensland, explained that the problems mostly occurred on the main carton conveyor line, which carries a variety of chilled boxed products, where it splits into five separate distribution lines.

“Because of the high volume of boxes coming down the main conveyor line, the chain drive pushers just couldn’t cope at peak times, with the boxes getting caught up and forcing us to stop the whole conveyor line.

“Any downtime has a major impact on our customers, something we work hard to keep to a minimum,” Carter said.

Swire Cold Storage is Australia’s largest coldchain logistics service provider with a network of 17 facilities nationwide.

“The issue had been with us for quite a long time, but only at peak load times did it become critical.

“However, it became more of a point of focus as our volumes increased. We had tried a number of things to try to fix the problem, but with no success,” Carter explained.

PRODUCTIVITY: The Swire Cold Storage conveyor line was able to reduce downtime.

Low cost project

In the end, the company managed to fix the problem for far less money than they initially thought. “In fact it was a very low cost project for such a big improvement to our production efficiency,” remarked Carter.

Shahry Zand, applications engineer with SEW-Eurodrive, explained that the problem was with the pushers, “they just couldn’t keep pace with the main conveyor line”.

“The main conveyor line travels around one metre per second with the gap between boxes set at just one metre at peak load times.

“This means the pusher must finish its pushing operation and be ready in its home position for the next push in less than 0.7 seconds.

“The boxes are mainly 0.5 metre x 0.5 metre with varying heights, so basically they have the same footprint.”

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Swire had tried to modify the PLC program by changing the motor speed as well as ramp times and delay times but with no success.

stop at the home Prox all the time.

“As a result the next box was crashing into the pusher and the whole main conveyor had to be stopped to clear and home the pusher,” he explained.

Swire had tried to modify the PLC program by changing the motor speed, ramp times and delay times, but with no success.

Replace cabling The chain drive pushers were driven by an older SEW-Eurodrive Movimot geared motor controlled by a PLC via a MFD DeviceNet module.

“The positioning was being done in the PLC based on a home Proximity switch. However, due to the DeviceNet/PLC delays, the 0.7s total pushing time wasn’t quite achievable and the motor wasn’t able to

In a perfect world, the high dynamic nature of the application really called for a servo drive with a highresolution encoder.

“However that option would work out to be quite expensive, with each pusher costing around $10,000,” explained Zand.

“Plus as the cabling would need to be replaced by shielded cabling and the inverters installed in a control >

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Gearmotors \ Industrial Gear Units \ Drive Electronics \ Drive Automation \ Services

Drive Electronics from SEW-EURODRIVE From simple to advanced, we’ve got the solution

SEW-EURODRIVE offers a diverse range of drive electronics. From simple speed control to advanced positioning or synchronizing, SEW can provide an inverter to suit your purpose. The MOVITRAC LTE B provides the perfect solution for quick & easy installation, commissioning and operation. With its small size and straightforward keypad operation, it provides a low cost solution for simple applications. Meanwhile, the MOVIDRIVE B is the industry leading application inverter for more advanced motion requirements. With IPOSplus intelligent control included as standard, the MOVIDRIVE B can also be combined with MOVIPLC to provide motion and PLC functions.

Inherently energy efficient, SEW-EURODRIVE’s drive electronics are engineered to operate seamlessly with the SEW gearmotor range and of course, as always our products are backed by our unparalleled technical support and know-how.

1300 SEW AUS Melbourne (HQ) I Sydney I Adelaide I Perth I Brisbane I Townsville

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1/03/12 4:23 PM

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BEHIND THE SCENES

PREFERRED SUPPLIER FOR MAGNETIC LEVEL GAUGES TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY. STRY.

CHEAPER: The Movimot motor with built-in inverter was less expensive than the servo drive option.

The dynamic nature of the application really called for a servo drive with a high-resolution encoder. cabinet, the total cost would have been over $100,000.

“Overall, the servo drive option involved a lot of changes and considerable disruption to the building which the customer didn’t want to do.

“Instead we were able to fix the problem on the high-volume Queensland line, the most problematic, for less than $2200,” Zand noted.

As well, SEW-Eurodrive was able to commission the conveyor in just one day, on the weekend, with no disruption to production at all.

“In order to eliminate the DeviceNet/PLC delays, we proposed that the positioning be done by an intelli32 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

gent SEW-Eurodrive MQD DeviceNet module coupled close to the Movimot.

“Based on the required positioning accuracy a simple 24 pulse/rev built-in motor encoder was selected,” Zand said.

The six-year-old SEW-Eurodrive motor, which was still in a good working condition, was replaced with a SEW-Eurodrive DRE high efficiency motor.

“We also replaced the original MFD DeviceNet module, which is basically a gateway just for communicating with the PLC, with a MQD DeviceNet module with internal positioning and sequence control (IPOS) capabilities.

“We needed IPOS to directly process the encoder signal and to program it to do the positioning independent of the main PLC. The main PLC would just provide a go command and the rest of the positioning and control of the pusher would be handled by the MQD and Movimot,” Zand said.

To achieve the total pushing cycle of less than 0.5s,

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NORD DRIVESYSTEMS Intelligent Drivesystems, Worldwide Services

The built-in encoder option with up to 24 pulses per motor revolution is a suitable solution for simple positioning and sequence control applications.

a speed profile was programmed in IPOS based on the pusher position. The challenge was to prevent damaging the boxes by hitting them at high speed and also be able to stop the pusher at the home prox within the required accuracy.

“As the required ramp up/down time of 0.15s was really pushing the limits of an induction motor, we decided to add another feature in the IPOS program to make it even more reliable,” said Zand.

“If for any reason the pusher stops after the Home Prox, it is programmed to come back quickly to the Home Prox before the next box crashes into it.

“Thanks to the new built-in encoder, the pusher hasn’t missed the Home Prox even once and it’s pushing the boxes quicker and smoother than ever before.

“At this stage we have only replaced the problem line, the busiest line, mainly to prove that our engineering works,” Zand said.

Standardise motors

Carter was impressed with the improvements to the conveyor lines. “Since putting in the new drive our downtime has decreased considerably,” he said.

He explained that the one remaining pusher operates on a very slow moving line, “so we don’t need to upgrade that at this point in time. However eventually we probably will, just to standardise the motors on that conveyor line.

“We only put one in at the beginning to see how it worked, but within the first week we could clearly see the problem had been fixed,” Carter said.

“Our customer sends the boxed product to us, where we basically sort it in our temperature controlled warehousing and distribution centre, which is set at two degrees Centigrade.

The company is presently running two shifts each working day, starting at six in the morning.

“However, the flow of product is not always constant, with the peak in the

morning,” he noted.

“We probably have close to 1800 metres of conveyor lines here.

“The tunnel from the meatworks is over 250 metres long alone, with three conveyors, plus a return pallet conveyor in the tunnel, plus there are all the conveyors around the site. It’s quite an impressive operation.”

“We have over 150 of their drives on site and over 200 SEW-Eurodrive motors and gearboxes,” Carter said.

Energy-efficient Drive technology from NORD Decentralised frequency inverter SK 200E • Energy saving management • Fully equipped • Economic AS interface on board • High quality motor inverter • Up to IP 66

Proximity switches

The relatively new built-in encoder option with up to 24 pulses per motor revolution is a suitable solution for simple positioning and sequence control applications.

“For example it can replace proximity switches on older conveyor lines to improve speed, accuracy and reliability without spending big dollars,” said Zand.

“Another advantage of these built-in encoders is their ability to be retrofitted to existing DR Series SEW-Eurodrive motors, without adding any length to the motor.

“What many companies don’t realise is the high number of different products and options we have.

“Even in the decentralised range of Variable Frequency Drives (VSD), which includes Movimot, we have a lot of options, which makes them very flexible,” Zand added.

For this application, Swire did not want to make major changes and they wanted to keep the costs down. Zand and his team were able to implement a solution with minimal cost and exactly the accuracy required.

SEW-Eurodrive’s Movimot gearmotor, with an integrated frequency inverter, is a combination of gearmotor and frequency inverter in the 0.37kW to 4.0kW power range.

“Despite the integrated frequency inverter, Movimot requires only slightly more installation space than standard gearmotors and can be supplied in all standard versions and mounting positions, with and without a brake, for three phase supply voltages of 380 Volts to 500 Volts and 200 Volts to 240 Volts,” concluded Zand.

SEW-Eurodrive’s Movimot gearmotors have IP55 enclosure as standard and are also available with IP65 and IP66 enclosures on request.

SEW-Eurodrive 03 9933 1000 www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

Gear Unit NORDBLOC.1 • Lightweight • Strong bearings • Corrosion protection (Al) • Easy to clean • Quiet running

NORD IE2-motors • High efficiencies • Wide voltage range • Low waste heat • Large power reserves • Long service life

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PACE ZENITH ONS I T A N I NOM ENDED EXT

AWARDS

L I R P A 20 2012

MELBOURNE 14 JUNE 2012 The PACE Zenith Awards recognise companies and professionals who show innovation in engineering projects and technological excellence in one or more of ten industry categories.

CATEGORIES: Automotive & Manufacturing Food & Beverage Machine Builder Mining, Minerals & Exploration Oil & Gas Power & Energy Management Lifetime Achievement Award Transport, Power & Infrastructure Water & Wastewater Young Achiever

HOW TO ENTER Download nomination kit at: www.pacetoday.com.au/awards

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Madeline Prince Tel: 02 9422 2759 E: awards@pacetoday.com.au

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How to choose the right hose Despite its importance, hose selection is often treated as an afterthought. Proper hose selection starts with an understanding of the four main parts of a hose, writes Patrick Werrlein.

T

HE right hose keeps your process performing safely and cost effectively. The wrong hose could undermine your process, put personnel at risk, and compromise your bottom line – sometimes without you being aware of it.

For example, an improperly chosen hose may kink. This permanent buckling of the hose disrupts the system media flow and creates a rupture threat.

But because kinked hoses are not easily detected, they are in operation throughout industry.

Despite its importance, hose selection is often treated as an afterthought.

Proper hose selection starts with an understanding of the four main parts of a hose (Figure 1): 1. Core tube material and construction 2. Reinforcement layers 3. Covers 4. End connections Selection requires making choices in those areas while paying attention to the variables in your application.

Temperature, pressure and flow requirements, as well as requirements ranging from chemical compatibility to drainability, are some of the specifications that will dictate your choice.

Hoses cost more than their purchase price. Selecting wisely also requires the consideration of hose longevity, maintenance and replacement costs, and other cost-of-ownership factors. The steps discussed below will help you arrive at the right hose for your application.

Core tube material

When selecting a hose, the place to start is the core tube, which is the hose’s innermost layer, the one that comes into contact with the system media.

Here are some basic questions to answer when selecting the core tube material. You can address these with the help of product catalogues and your sales and service representative.

1. Is the material chemically compatible with the system media? Will it corrode or deteriorate over time?

2. Can it tolerate the temperature range

of the system media?

3. Will the material prevent or limit permeation and absorption? All materials, even metals, are subject to permeation and absorption, so this question is one of degree. Permeation occurs when media passes through a material, whereas absorption is when media absorbs into and becomes part of a material. Depending on your application, permeation and/or absorption may not be an issue.

4. Will the core material stand up to the cleaning practices for your system, both in terms of temperature, pressure, and material compatibility with any solvents and cleaning agents employed?

First, let’s review the materials that core tubes are made of; then, we will review some choices for core tube wall construction. For a summary, refer to the Selection Guideline Overview table.

Metal cores (commonly 316L stainless steel) are a good choice for general needs. They are usually rated for temperatures between -200˚C and 454˚C, which makes them an especially good choice – sometimes the only choice – for system media at extreme temperatures.

A metal core is also a good choice when there is little allowance for permeation or absorption. With the advent of fluoropolymers, metal is usually not chosen for highly caustic or acidic media because of issues with corrosion.

Historically, silicone has been a common choice for sanitary applications. A typical temperature range for silicone is from -53˚C to 315˚C. Silicone became the material of choice for sanitary applications because of its flexibility. However, that advantage has disappeared with advancements in fluoropolymer hose construction.

Silicone, which is incompatible with common solvents, has limited chemical compatibility overall. In addition, it is absorptive, which can lead to contamination. If a fluid is absorbed into the walls of the core tube, it may remain there for a period of time before leaching out, at which point it may contaminate the media currently in the system.

With silicone, removing the absorbed fluid is usually not possible. Steam cleaning, one of the most common sterilisation methods for silicone, may not remove it, and the high temperatures may cause premature failure. The hose

will become brittle and break down.

In place of silicone, fluoropolymer cores are becoming the material of choice for sanitary applications. PTFE, PFA, and FEP are three common fluoropolymers, with a typical temper- >

FIGURE 1: Hose selection requires making choices in the four main areas of a hoseA–Dcore reinforcement _ Ptube A C material E P L A and A P construction, R_ 1 2 . p d f P a g e layers, 1 covers 1 4 / and 0 3 end / 1 2 , connections.

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ature range from -53˚C to 230˚C. Fluoropolymer cores are the most chemically inert cores available. They are non-ageing, nonstick, easy to clean, and can withstand repetitive steam cleaning.

Like metal, fluoropolymers also have a low absorption rate.

FIGURE 2: Smooth-bore cores, built with a smooth inner tube wall, are a good In addition, advancements in the choice when precise flow control and drainability are priorities. use of reinforcement layers have allowed fluoropolymer cores to overcome their stiffness and gain flexibility comparable to that of silicone. New technology has enabled a bonding technology that allows a fibreglass braid to be added as a layer for increased flexibility.

The bonding technology uses no glue. The glue-free process means there is no potential for glue absorbing into the core walls and later contaminating the process. PTFE cores comply with FDA regulation 21CFR Part 177.1550, USP <88> Class VI, and 3-A. One drawback of fluoropolymers is that they are highly permeable. If your FIGURE 3 (A and B): In convoluted cores, the tube walls are folded in a pattern application cannot tolerate permeation, increase then you can specify a less permeable MM1 9 5 0 _ P A C E . p d f P a to ge 1 the 1 3hose’s / 0 2flexibility. / 1 2 , The 9 : two 4 1types A of M convoluted cores are helical, found primarily in fluoropolymer cores, and annular, typical in metal cores. core material, such as metal.

OFFICIAL ZONE MEDIA PARTNER OF THE PROCESS CONTROL & INSTRUMENTATION PRODUCT ZONE

With many fluoropolymer hoses, you can specify a carbon black filled core if your process requires static dissipation.

Carbon allows the charge to travel to the end connections and exit. Static dissipative cores are important because fluid can generate electrostatic as it passes through the hose. Static sparking can damage hose and pose a safety hazard.

Thermoplastic (nylon) hoses, which can contain high pressures, are often chosen for hydraulic applications. They are available in sizes up to 1 inch and have a typical temperature range from -40˚C to 93˚C. Rubber hoses are economical general purpose hoses with a typical temperature range like that of thermoplastic.

They are only for low-pressure uses.

An advantage of rubber hoses is their ability to be crushed without permanent damage. They are also made in sizes above 50.8 mm (2 inches). The other hoses described typically range in size from 3.17 mm (1/8 inch) or 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) to 50.8 mm (2 inches).

Before you make your final choice

OFFICIAL ZONE MEDIA PARTNER

PACE, the longest running and most authoritative publication dedicated solely to process, control and automation engineering in Australia, is also the official publication of the IICA, the country’s leading institute for instrumentation, control and automation.

Partnering with NMW 2012 and the IICA, PACE has continued to assist Australian process and control engineers to discover new and innovative ideas and technologies they can apply to their own business.

Visiting?

Register today at www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au and remember to visit us at stand 0612 to learn more about our vast engineering portfolio.

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Selection guideline overview Core Tube Material

Summary

Wall Construction

Metal

• • • • •

ood general purpose hose G Widest temperature range Resists permeation and absorption Not compatible with highly caustic or acidic system media Not well suited for operations with repetitive movements

• A vailable in convoluted core only, typically annular, to be used when flexibility is a priority

Fluoropolymer (PTFE, PFA, FEP)

• • • • • •

Good chemical compatibility dvancements have made it very flexible A Good cleanability Low absorption Available with static dissipation Highly permeable

• A vailable in smooth-bore core, for maximum flow control and drainability • Also available in convoluted core, typically helical, to be used when flexibility is a priority • Smooth-bore cores can kink, particularly in larger sizes, but reinforcement layers limit kinking • Helical is better than annular for flow control

Silicone

• • • •

ery flexible V Limited chemical compatibility Highly absorptive Poor cleanability

• Available in smooth-bore core only

Thermoplastic (Nylon)

• E conomical, general purpose hose • Good for hydraulic fluids • Limited temperature range

• Available in smooth-bore core only

• Economical, general purpose hose • Durable • Available in large sizes (above 2 inches) AD_ PACEVAI APR_ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 / 0 3 / 1 2 , • Limited temperature and pressure range

• Available in smooth-bore core only

Rubber

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APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 37

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FIGURE 4: Minimum bend radius measures how far a hose can bend before kinking.

Although not as easy to measure as minimum bend radius, force-to-bend is an equally critical factor in your selection.

cause interruptions. Smooth bore also promotes drainability. The primary disadvantage is kinking, particularly in larger diameters. Reinforcement layers, discussed later, help solve kinking.

In the other wall construction choice, convoluted, the walls of the tube are folded in a pattern that increases the hose’s ability to bend without kinking. Metal and fluoropolymer cores are offered with convolutions. This construction is chosen when flexibility is the priority.

Convoluted cores come in two types – helical and annular. The helical design, found primarily in fluoropolymer cores, is a single convolution that spirals down the length of the hose (Figure 3A).

Sometimes you must choose a convoin core tube material, you must first drainability needs. In a smooth-bore luted core because you need flexibility, understand core tube wall construction. core, the tube’s inner wall is smooth. but flow maintenance and drainability You must decide whether the core tube All core materials except for metal are are also important. Select a helical wall should be smooth or have convooffered in smooth bore (Figure 2). design, because it promotes better flow lutions, which allow it to bend like a Choose smooth bore if precise flow downstream than annular convolutions. flexible straw. Your application’s requirecontrol is a priority. With smooth bore, Annular design, typical in metal mentA for hose bendability will guide precise flow control is possible because cores, is a4 series of connected rings D_ PACEPRYF EB_ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 9 / 0 1 / 1 2 , 5 : 0 PM your decision, as will pressure, flow and there are no irregularities in the wall to (Figure 3B). Annular metal cores come with deep convolutions for maximum flexibility. Despite their flexibility, convoluted metal hoses are not well suited to operations where they are moving in a repetitive pattern, because the movements can cause metal fatigue UE Solid state pressure switches and breaking.

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• Solid State design with no moving parts • Field programmable for set point and deadband control • 2-Wire design is a drop-in replacement for mechanical switches • IAW®(I am working) self diagnostics • Pressure ranges to 4500 psi/Temp. ranges to 1000°F

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info@pryde.com.au 38 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

Reinforcement layers

Reinforcement layers are your next consideration. In most cases, the core tube is reinforced by a flexible, stainless steel woven braid, which is layered on top of the core tube. Proper reinforcement layers improve pressure containment and flexibility in the hose. To compare pressure ratings among hoses, you can consult product catalogues.

Comparing flexibility is trickier. To do so, you need to understand bend radius. All hoses have a minimum bend radius, which measures how far a hose can bend before kinking (Figure 4).

Measurements for minimum bend radius are standard in industrial hose literature.

However, there’s more to flexibility than bend radius – and many people in the industry do not understand this.

Also consider the force required to bend an unpressurised hose. A hose with a good bend radius is not much help to you if the force required to bend it is too great. Is the hose so stiff that an operator can’t bend it or has difficulty installing it? Will it slow down or break a machine

SNAPSHOT

Hose selection tips Use identification Customise your hoses with tags or text. Personnel can see at a glance what the hose function is, which helps with safety and plant efficiency.

Proper identification also allows fast and accurate ordering of replacement hose. In another identification method, silicone covers are differently coloured – one colour for hoses going to the process, for example, and another for hoses coming from it – so operators can see hose function from a distance. choose traceability Select from manufacturers that offer fully traceable products. Lot numbers on hose assemblies, including fluoropolymer core tubes and stainless steel end connections, allow the manufacturer to better limit your potential loss in the event of a recall.

For example, if you get a bad hose in an order of 100 hoses, traceability enables the manufacturer to determine if the problem goes beyond the one bad hose – without this knowledge, you might automatically replace all 100 hoses. think about the cost of ownership Make decisions based on the true cost of a hose, which is the purchase price plus the cost of owning and maintaining or replacing the assembly over time. All hoses wear out.

Determine how often hose replacement will be necessary. Calculate the cost of replacement parts, labour and downtime.

in a dynamic operation? Force-to-bend is just as important as bend radius but not as easy to measure, and guidelines don’t exist across hose manufacturers.

You may ask your sales and service representative to show you hose samples that you can test with your own hands.

Cover selection

Next, you’ll need to decide if your hose should have a cover – and, if so, what kind. A cover is an outer layer that protects underlying layers, personnel and surrounding equipment. Covers come in materials such as silicone and rubber and are integral to the hose.

The most common cover for general

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purposes is made of silicone. Silicone covers help prevent fraying of the braids in stainless steel reinforcement layers, which can happen from abrasion.

Silicone covers can provide enhanced burn protection for operators who grab or bump hoses that are carrying very hot fluid. They provide insulation as well, helping to maintain process temperature.

Silicone covers are a particularly good choice for sanitary applications. Their smoothness makes them easy to wash down. And by covering the stainless steel reinforcement layer, they eliminate bacteria buildup in the braid’s crevices. angling. In most applications, the goal in You’ll also find covers for specialty cover selection is to achieve the smallest applications. For maximum burn protecdiameter and not decrease the flexibility tion, consider a fire jacket, a fibreglass of the hose. cover coated in silicone rubber (Figure End connections 5). Keep in mind, however, that fire End connections, usually made of metal, jackets connect loosely to the hose and are where most leaks occur. The performcan snag and rip. Another cover type, ance of the hose assembly you purchase bend restrictors, help prevent the hose depends largely on the hose manufacfrom being bent beyond its bend radius. turer’s ability to attach end connections, On the downside, covers add a reputable cost, restrict flexibility, and make the A D _ P A C E E A T A P R _ 1 2 . p so d choose f Pa g e 1 manufacturer.

1 4 / 0 3 / 1 2 , For metal hoses, there are a variety hose larger, a concern for routing and

AM

FIGURE 5: A common cover for specialty applications is the fire jacket, a fibreglass cover coated in silicone rubber that offers maximum burn protection.

of end connection choices. The connections are welded, which completely and permanently seals the product.

For fluoropolymer hoses, you will choose between swaging or crimping.

Swaging puts pressure on the hose itself, while crimping squeezes the end connection. While both methods are widely accepted, crimping has a slight advantage in that it is less likely to damage the hose, because the pressure is exerted in a carefully 9 : 5 controlled 0 A M manner.

Many chemical applications require

that fluoropolymer-wetted surface end connections be used.

The industry has devised some creative solutions. One is called “flarethrough,” because the core tube is flared such that it covers the entire inner surface of the metal end connection.

The chief benefits of the flare-through approach are that there is no step or drop between the core tube and fitting, ensuring smooth flow, and the result is an all fluoropolymer-wetted surface.

However, flare-through is costly and fragile and is not recommended for high-temperature applications.

Another common solution is “encapsulation,” because the stainless steel end connection is entirely encapsulated in fluoropolymer, inside and out.

Advantages are cost and availability.

Disadvantages are reduced orifice size, raising the possibility of reduced flow and entrapment.

[Patrick Werrlein is Product Manager, Hose Products for Swagelok Company.]

Swagelok www.swagelok.com

Maximise your Potential Easy installation. Minimal maintenance. Maximum flexibility.

The M-Max Series of adjustable frequency drives represents the next drive generation engineered to solve your specific application requirements.

With a compact design, impressive torque response and simple handling, Eaton’s new M-Max Series offers increased efficiency and product life. Including both single and threephase devices, the easy-to-use microprocessor based drives incorporate standard features that can be programmed to tailor the drive’s performance to suit a wide variety of application

requirements. The M-Max Series is designed for today’s machinery applications, including: conveyor belts, transport drives, packaging machines, as well as pumps and fans.

For further information:

1300 332 866

www.eatonelectric.com.au

©2011 Eaton Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 579PD

APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 39

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SPOTLIGHT

7best of the

PACE showcase of the best engineering technology releases of the month.

Advanced field calibrator and communicator The Beamex MC6 high-accuracy field calibrator and communicator offers calibration capabilities for pressure, temperature and various electrical signals. It also contains a full fieldbus communicator for HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA instruments. It has a 5.7â&#x20AC;? colour touch-screen with a multilingual user-interface. The IP65-rated dust- and water-proof casing and light weight make it a suitable measurement device for field use in various industries, such as the pharmaceutical, energy, oil and gas, food and beverage, service as well as the petrochemical and chemical industries. The MC6 is one device with five different operational modes, which include Meter, Calibrator, Documenting Calibrator, Data Logger and Fieldbus Communicator. In addition, the MC6 communicates with Beamex CMX Calibration Software, enabling fully automated and paperless calibration and documentation. The new version of the CMX Calibration Software, together with the MC6, offers improved possibilities for paperless calibration management.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

Two-wire liquid transmitter The Emerson Process Management family of Rosemount Analytical 1066 two-wire liquid instruments are suitable for many industrial applications including those with exacting performance requirements such as pharmaceutical and food and beverage, and in harsh environments. The 1066 series has the latest version of Hart 7, and they are the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first pH transmitters to be

registered under the Interoperability Test Kit 6 (ITK6) from FOUNDATION Fieldbus. They can measure pH, ORP, resistivity/conductivity, percent concentration, total dissolved solids, total chlorine, free chlorine, monochloramine, dissolved oxygen and dissolved ozone.

Emerson Process Management 1300 55 3051 www.emersonprocess.com.au

Integrated pressure transmitters for OEMs Due to the Chip-in-Oil (CiO) technology developed at Keller, the trend toward miniaturisation is now becoming a reality. In its Series 4 LC...9 LC pressure transmitters, the special ASIC for signal processing is fitted directly next to the pressure sensor, in the same housing, under oil and with the exclusion of air. This yields a host of advantages in terms of application: all the key pressure measurement components are now protected against the risks from humidity and condensation. The interior wiring is implemented with short, lightweight bonding wires, while sintered-in pressure-resistant glass leadthroughs feed the transmitter signals out. Together with the high-grade steel housing, they form a Faraday 40 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

cage around the measuring system, acting as feedthrough capacitors. This makes the CiO technology RFI resistant up to field strengths of 250 V/m and for frequencies of up to 4 GHz. Series 4 LC...9 LC pressure transmitters offer two output signals: a ratiometric analogue voltage output and a digital inter-integrated circuit interface (I2C). The ratiometric signal eliminates the need for an expensive voltage reference in the support electronics to the A/D converter, with no additional effort and expense for compensation and calibration.

KELLER info@keller-druck.com www.keller-druck.com

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Email your product news to editor@pacetoday.com.au

Signet 9900 SmartPro

Unified automation for next-gen machines The NJ Machine Automation Controller from Omron seamlessly integrates motion control, automation, vision inspection and communications.

Based on Intel Multicore Processing Unit technology and QNX OS, its performance surpasses PLC-based motion-automation, matching Industrial PC (IPC) levels. Minimum motion-automation cycle is 500µs.

Using QNX, NJ’s reliability betters Omron’s trusted CJ PLC benchmark, surpassing reliability of IPCs which mostly run variants of Microsoft Windows OS. NJ also boots in eight seconds versus Windows times. Advanced motion and synchronisation of servos is possible via the EtherCAT machine network and distributed clocks. EtherCAT refresh is 100µs with less than 1µs jitter. Topologies are flexible, suiting remote I/O like Omron’s GRT1 I/O slices.

Motion functions include linear and circular interpolation, electronic gearing and CAMS, and virtual axes. Automation is equally impressive, supporting maximum 2560 rack I/O (40 CJ1W series I/O units). USB, EtherCAT and Ethernet/IP ports are built-in, plus CJ1W communications unit support.

NJ creates opportunities for machine builders.

GF Piping Systems has added the Signet 9900 SmartPro Transmitter to its line of flow and analytical measurement instrumentation. The device features multiparameter capabilities, flexible modularity and an auto-sensing backlit display with ‘at-a-glance’ visibility, even in dark conditions. It provides a single channel interface for many different parameters including flow, pH/ORP, conductivity/ resistivity, pressure, temperature, level, salinity and other sensor types that output a 4 to 20 mA signal.

GF Piping Systems 1300 130 149 www.georgfischer.com.au

Versatility to the M-MAX Additional EMC filtering options, configurable analogue inputs and enhanced fieldbus connectivity are among the features that have been added to the latest M-MAX variable speed drives from Eaton’s Electrical Sector, which are available with ratings up to 7.5 kW. Featuring compact bookstyle construction and competitively priced, M-MAX drives can be configured by the user for either V/f or sensorless vector control. This makes them a suitable choice for energy-saving fan and pump applications, and also for general industrial applications where accurate speed control is needed.

Omron Electronics 1300 766 766 www.omron.com.au

Eaton Industries 02 9693 9333 www.eatonelectric.com.au

Probe sensor for fast temperature changes Fast response times are a characteristic feature of the new Pt100 probe sensors of ifm efector. They can be used for highly precise temperature measurements in industrial applications. Short response times of T05 = 1s and T09 = 3s detect temperature changes in a very short time and enable optimum process monitoring.

The fast response time is achieved by using the latest technologies in connection with a 6 mm sensor tip.

The sensors with high-grade stainless steel housing are extremely robust and have a pressure rating of up to 160 bar. A special version with titanium housing is

suited for use in aggressive media. Together, with the high protection rating IP 68 / IP 69K the sensors can be used in many different applications of industrial process control. The measuring range is from -40 to 150°C (titanium version: -40 to 125°C). The accuracy of the stainless steel versions is compliant with DIN EN 60571, class A. Depending on the application the user can select probe lengths from 44 to 350 mm with different types of threads. ifm efector 1300 365 088 www.ifm.com/au APRIL 2012 www.pacetoday.com.au 41

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COMMUNITY

TOP TWEETS

WHAT’S ON

Here’s what you may have missed this February if you weren’t following @pacetoday on Twitter:

Fundamentals of Process Safety 16-20 April 2012, Perth www.icheme.org/fpsbrisbane IICA/ISA: Safety Instrumented Systems 18 April 2012, Melbourne www.iica.org.au IICA/ISA: Overview of Measurement & Control Fundamentals 20 April 2012, Adelaide www.iica.org.au Rockwell Automation on the Move 2-3 May 2012, Sydney au.rockwellautomation.com National Manufacturing Week 2012 8-11 May 2012, Sydney www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au

o Rio Tinto sets up mining chair at UNSW http://dlvr.it/1KtjyZ

o Drives are leading industrial networking growth http://dlvr.it/1JQtKY

o Metso technology increases capacity in wastewater treatment plants http://dlvr.it/1KtcX6

o CDE targets Australia with Aquacycle A1500 thickener http://dlvr.it/1Hf392

o Industrial waste can power desalination http://dlvr.it/1KKRMc

o Portable desal unit trialled in Northern Territory http://dlvr.it/1HPqn8

o ABB expands controller range for larger robots http://dlvr.it/1K5Byb

o Financial improvements linked to manufacturers using predictive plant operations metrics http://dlvr.it/1H26CY

o Additive manufacturing moves beyond prototyping http://dlvr.it/1KKKWP o AspenTech acquires SolidSim Engineering http://dlvr.it/1Jdn5t

o Australia-India research collaboration to boost engineering jobs in Vic http://dlvr.it/1H008L o Graduate Program developing future engineering leaders http://dlvr.it/1GFvCC

o Engineering takes a step towards tackling gender diversity http://dlvr.it/1JQzfK

Hirschmann Certified Training Industrial Ethernet (CT1) 12-13 June 2012, Melbourne shortcourses.rmit.edu.au

For daily updates visit www.pacetoday.com.au

Follow @pacetoday on Twitter for the latest news, analysis, new product information and commentary. And never miss out again.

IICA CORNER

Meet like-minded individuals Networking activities will help us get on the radar of decision makers, writes Brett Simpson.

THE Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation (IICA) seeks to set the benchmark, provide networking and education to the instrumentation, control and automation sectors of industry and manufacturing.

In this article I want to focus a bit on the networking aspect of the Institute’s vision for the future.

Within our context, the word ‘networking’ is really a carry bag for a raft of activities and initiatives in which we see ourselves being involved and engaged.

At the ground level, networking achieves the IICA’s aim of bringing together like-minded individuals and companies under the auspices of the Institute.

Specifically, there is scope for peer communication at each of our 42 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2012

geographic Branch meetings across Australia; participation at technical evenings; meeting new and old colleagues at the mini-technical expos across metropolitan and regional centres nationwide; attendance at IICA sponsored social gatherings as well as engagement in Q&A technical discussions and problem solving with professional colleagues via the IICA’s on-line participation with the LinkedIn network.

At another level, ‘networking’ means the ability for professional meeting, discussion and networking between the whole spectrum of end users with their counterpart suppliers and service providers within the neutral vehicle of the Institute. In other words, within the IICA, business competitors are freed from the normal constrictions that

apply in the outside world of professional rivalries.

Yet another form of ‘networking’ in which the Institute engages is seeking to meet and develop mutual interests and benefits with other like-minded professional associations or organizations. Such networking alliances facilitate not only raising our own visibility more prominently, but in some ways perhaps more importantly, also those of our collective industry sectors as well.

Our Institute’s membership comprises individuals and corporates from an extremely diverse range of industry and manufacturing sectors. It is therefore not always easy for those outside our sectors, especially government and other policy decision-makers, to see what such diverse areas have in common.

Such a lack of understanding and awareness makes it easy to lead to an under-estimation of the significance and value that our instrumentation, control systems and automation professionals contribute to the wealth generation of this country. Raising our visibility and profile by networking with all kinds of decision–makers and organizations is therefore a significant challenge for an organization like ours.

We want to make others aware of who we are, what we do and why our industry sectors deserve to be given a greater visibility on the radar screens of Australian decision-makers. Networking is a good way to assist this work.

[Brett Simpson is President IICA.] 1300 781 715 www.iica.org.au

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